Are you an entrepreneur or business owner either considering a business retreat or perhaps just booked one? Yes? Then you need to read this! Business retreats are incredible but you need to take certain steps to ensure you get the most out of them a good ROI… I’ve been to 3 already and each one is transformational, but only because I do these things… So here’s my tips on how to get the most out of a business retreat…
Firstly, just in case you’re not entirely sure… a business retreat is an opportunity to escape your everyday life and focus solely on your own and your business development.
The trend at the moment is for business retreats to be overseas, glamorous and abundant. But you may be considering a more low-key business retreat closer to home… both can be totally transformative!
The key element is that you take yourself away from working in your business, to working on your business… so although it may seem like a good excuse for a jolly, it’s an incredible opportunity to really move the needle for yourself and your business growth.
Here’s my advice on how to make the most of your business retreat…
1. Be Intentional:
You’d be forgiven for booking a business retreat based on location alone or for fear of missing out. These are not the right reasons. Although the location can seriously impact the transformation, it’s important that you’re really intentional about what you want to get out of the business retreat and why you’re actually going… and more importantly, why now? Really tune-in the possibilities and ask yourself…
…what do I need to shift in myself or my business right now?
…what will make a real difference to my personal or business growth?
…what could I get from this experience that I can’t get elsewhere?
2. Journal the shit out of it:
So I’ve advised you to get intentional about what you want to get out of the business retreat and now I’m going to tell you a little secret….
…ready? (shhh!)
…you never really know what you’ll leave a business retreat knowing/shifting/experiencing! The beauty of a good business retreat is that it provides the opportunity to up-level in ways you could never have imagined possible and on levels you may not have known even existed.
So be intentional yes, but also be open to let the business retreat show you what it is you actually need to be shown. Take a journal with you and journal constantly – let whatever downloads come to you, pour out onto paper. Log everything, even if it doesn’t make sense just yet. On a psychological level, it’ll really help your brain process the experience on a deeper, more subsconscious level.
3. Allow space:
Depending on a number of factors, you may be embarking on a business retreat with a bunch of business besties, or, like me on my first business retreat in LA, you may not know a soul. Either way, you will end up bonding with others at the retreat in a very special way (even temporarily), which is incredible in itself. BUT…
…in my experience, you also want to allow plenty of you time, to ensure you can process what’s happening and what you’re learning. So the best business retreats (in my humble opinion), factor for this space in the schedule. When I host my business retreats in Tuscany, I ensure the schedule has plenty of free time for people to use as they wish. For some, it’ll be about extending conversations that started in session. For others, it’ll be about taking themselves off to a pool, or for a nice walk and being truly alone, to let the downloads come.
Being an extrovert, I energise around others, so I know I need to intentionally create the space to make sure I’m getting the benefits of the transformation.
4. Don’t go straight back to work:
Ok this is a tough one! And I won’t lie, I’ve not entirely nailed this one myself… but a lot of the incredible results of a good business retreat happe after the experience itself… it could be on the plane home, in the shower the next day or maybe even a couple of weeks later. So my advice to really maximise this special development time, is to try and keep your diary as clear as possible for the days after the retreat – and keep your journal close.
Don’t just head straight back into everyday life, with your precious notes locked away in a drawer never to be opened again… really sit with what you’ve experienced and create an action plan (even if it’s an evolving one) from all the things you’ve learned during the business retreat.
These would be my top 4 tips for how to get the most out of a business retreat… and I’d also say, make sure you’re going for the right reasons. An epic business retreat should provide ROI… they’re not a cheap exercise, so make it count!
As I write this, I’m in the airport lounge, waiting to embark on a business retreat in Barbados. I’ve got my journal at hand and know exactly what I want to get out of it (or at least what I think I do!).
If you’re interested in my Flourish Business Retreats in Tuscany, make sure you pop yourself on the wait list here.
Enjoy every moment – here’s to you and your success!
